


Play Pretend

by ToasterBoss



Series: Fledgling [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 11:02:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9605123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToasterBoss/pseuds/ToasterBoss
Summary: Yuri has harboured a crush on Yuuri for some time now, but with Viktor in the way he has never been able to act on it. Even with Viktor gone he still can’t, but that doesn’t mean he can’t pretend.





	

Yuuri was an idiot. 

Yuri was an idiot. 

Both were idiots and only one was aware of it. 

Yuri Plisetsky could just imagine how everyone laughed at him, or worse yet, pitied him. It was obvious Mila knew, with her snide remarks, which could always be worse, but for some reason she always held back. Georgi knew, Yuri could tell by the way the man just gave Yuri that smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Yakov and Lilia also most likely knew, but never commented or touched upon the subject, which Yuri was grateful for. Most importantly though, Viktor knew and didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. Why would he? Viktor was a living legend and the world fell at his golden feet. A lion knew a kitten was no threat. Still he would turn his gaze on Yuri if he moved too close, his mouth smiling but his eyes filled with ice. 

The only one who didn’t seem to know was Yuuri Katsuki and wasn’t that an example of the universe hating Yuri. The one person who didn’t know Yuri had a crush was the person he had a crush on. Was Yuri really that much of a child in Yuuri’s eyes that the thought had never crossed his mind? 

“You need to send me the recipe for this,” said Yuuri as he happily chewed the katsudon pirozhki, muffling his words slightly. “I’m not much of a cook, but I’m sure my mom would try making it.”

“I’ll have to ask my grandpa, but I’m sure he’ll say yes,” replied Yuri from where he was sat on the railing, legs swinging.

With just the two of them together, chatting and eating, it felt so intimate, especially with the isolation that came with snowfall at night. If Yuri put Viktor out of his mind he could almost pretend that he was on a date. 

“Thanks for this, Yuri. I really appreciate it.”

“Let’s go get some coffee!” said Yuri without thinking.

“What?”

“I said, let’s go get some coffee. You’re cold, aren’t you?”

“Well, yeah-”

“Then let’s go get coffee to warm us up,” insisted Yuri as he grabbed the katsudon’s hand and started dragging him down the street.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to stay out a bit longer.”

They jogged down the street, hand in hand, and Yuri felt his heart sing. Just for that night he could pretend.

Ten minutes of jogging through the snow together and they ended up in a little café. It was one of those forcibly hipster places, where each element was picked carefully to create a faux quirkiness. The chairs were all odd at the table they sat at, but when Yuri looked around he could find the matching ones at other tables, enforcing the mishmash aesthetic. There were two shelves filled with books to try and create an intellectual angle, but all the books were crap found in a second hand shop, as obvious from a bible next to a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey. The greatest offender came when Yuri ordered their coffee and instead of a simple table number, he was given a small plush toy with a playing card tied to it. The place was hideous and a travesty. The perfect place for a first date.

Their coffees arrived in mugs with ugly patterns that didn’t match the saucers they sat on, but Yuuri smiled when he saw it. 

Yuri took one sip of his coffee and almost spat it back out. He reached for the packets of sugar sat nearby and ripped them open with his teeth. 

“Yurio, are you okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

“That’s your fifth sugar.”

“So? What’s your point?” 

“Nothing, it’s just… a lot of sugar.”

“I have good metabolism, I can take it.”

Yuri took another sip of his coffee and couldn’t help the look of disgust on his face.

Yuuri gave him a small smile. “You don’t drink coffee do you?”

“No,” admitted Yuri as he sunk lower in his seat. “But that’s what you’re supposed to drink when you go to a coffee shop.”

“You could always order a hot chocolate.”

“I’m not a kid!”

A large warm hand was placed on top of Yuri’s own. “Ordering a hot chocolate doesn’t make you a kid Yuri. No one in existence is too old for hot chocolate.”

Blood was pounding in Yuri’s ears as he stared at the hand resting on his own. Yuuri’s skin was warm and soft, without any callouses or scars. Yuri wanted nothing more than to interlock their fingers.

“You know what, I think I heard one of the serving staff speak English. I’ll go up and see if I can find something you’ll like.”

Before Yuri could say anything Katsudon was gone, walking up to the counter to get the attention of a girl with multi-coloured braids. A minute later he was back with another numbered plush toy.

“Right, I’ve ordered something else, so let’s wait and see if you actually like it.”

A few minutes later the girl with the multi-coloured braids came to their table, a small wooden board in her hand. On it was a clear glass with a large scoop of ice-cream topped with chocolate shavings, and a tiny jug filled with a shot of coffee.

“What you do is pour the coffee over the ice-cream and drink it that way, or eat it. Depends on how long you leave it to melt,” explained Yuuri as he poured the small jug for Yuri.

Yuri waited a while for the ice-cream to melt a bit, then lifted the glass to his lips and started sipping. It still wasn’t something that Yuri would order for enjoyment, but it was still a hell of lot better than what he had been drinking. He smiled at Yuuri. 

“Thanks. I honestly know nothing about coffee.”

“Neither did I once, but studying quickly made me learn the Starbucks menu and then when I went to Australia with Phichit I learned a whole lot more. They’re real coffee snobs down there.”

“You’ve been to Australia? Why? I can’t imagine the skating is good there.”

Yuuri laughed. “No, of course not. Phichit and I just went for something different, just a holiday. In the summer me and Phichit would try and go somewhere different, because otherwise I would just train and do nothing else. I never even went home. And I like going to new places and seeing new things.”

“I never knew that about you.”

“Hm? Well, I suppose that makes sense. We’ve never really talked about much outside of skating. What about you? Do you have any other hobbies or interests?”

Over in the corner of a café Yuri noticed hiding under a pile of books and strange hats was a piano. “I can play the piano.”

“Really? That’s so cool. I tried to learn once, but for some strange reason even though I can skate and do ballet fine, my fingers are just way too clumsy. I have a keyboard in my room back home in Hasetsu which mocks me every time I look at it. How did you learn?”

“My mother taught me. She is really, really good and she once wanted to be a musician before she had me and had to get a decent job. She worked a lot, but whenever she came home, and I was still awake, she would play and I would join her or dance to it. It must have sounded so bad, but she never seemed to mind. Eventually, I got good enough that I would play for her when she came home from work too tired to play. I play some nights still, just to wind down from training and relax.”

The smile that Yuuri gave him made Yuri’s heart beat faster. “I’d love to hear you play one day.”

“Well, this is your lucky night, because I feel up for an impromptu concert.” 

Yuri went over to the piano and prayed to every god out there it was in tune and not a broken decoration. He sat down and tested a few keys, finding that by some miracle they made the right sound. He took a deep breath and began to play Yuri on Ice. 

The song came easily to him, even without sheet music. His mother had never been one for sheet music and instead played almost everything from memory or ear, a talent that Yuri had picked up. After seeing Yuuri’s free skate for the first time he had fallen in love with the music and had been determined to learn it himself. He had listened to the recording over and over until he felt confident that he knew the notes well enough and then had started to practise. It had been a little above his skill level, but enough nights after training did wonders. Along with Lilia sat near him, sipping her wine and criticising him whenever she heard a wrong note.

He lost himself in the song, his fingers dancing over the keys like his feet did on the ice. Before he knew it the last note drifted through the air as the song came to a close. Cheering and applause erupted around him and for the first time he noticed the entire café had been watching him. He didn’t care about their praise though, there was only one person he looked for. 

Yuuri was clapping along with the rest of the café, a huge smile on his face. When Yuri made his way back over though, he noticed the katsudon’s eyes were slightly red.

“You were so good, Yurio! It feels so strange to hear it without the violin though.”

Yuri felt his heart sink and he quickly sat down to finish his coffee.

After they were bored with the café they decided to walk back to their hotel. The snow seemed determined to bury the world, blotting out the sky and muffling the background noise, amplifying the crunching noise of their footsteps. Yuri used it as an excuse to stand close to Katsudon, so close their shoulders brushed. So desperate to drag out the night Yuri led them back to the hotel the long way, going through a park deserted except for the occasional couple. 

“I don’t want something to happen, you aren’t used to Russian weather. I need you to be a worthy opponent at Barcelona.”

“Wow, thanks for your concern, Yurio. Greatly appreciate it,” said Yuuri with a sarcastic voice tinged with amusement.

“What would you rather, that I leave you to the elements?”

“I never said that.”

“No, but I think you implied it,” said Yuri as he bent down to scoop out a handful of snow.

“No! Yurio don’t!”

“Too late,” said Yuri and then he flung the snowball at Yuuri’s face. 

Yuuri did that little panicked scream that always made Yuri smile. The snowball hit him square in the face and he stumbled back slightly. He brushed the snow from his clothes with a stern face.

Yuri picked up some more snow and loosely patted it into a ball, slow enough to give Yuri some time. “Aren’t you going to defend yourself, Katsudon?”

“So, that’s how it’s going to be, huh?”

“I’m afraid so.”

The two stared at each other in a Mexican standoff, neither willing to move before the other. 

“Aren’t you going to throw the snowball, Yurio?”

“You’ll just dodge it and then where would that leave me, completely unarmed?”

Yuuri’s fingers twitched and that was the only warning Yuri had before the idiot did a dramatic combat roll, picking up snow as he went and flinging it in Yuri’s face. 

“Ah! You piece of shit!”

“Keep up then.”

Yuri watched in shock as Yuuri ran for a bench and hurdled it with ease. He hadn’t expected a full grown man, especially one like Yuuri, to be so in to a snowball fight. 

“I’ve got you in my sights!” called at Yuuri before he began pelting Yuri with snowballs.

“What the fuck?!” shouted Yuri as he ducked for cover behind some trees. 

He needed to act fast and form some sort of plan as Yuuri actually seemed to be rather extraordinary at snowball fighting. Out of the corner of his eye spied his game changer and quickly set about making as many snowballs as he could, soon formed a decent pile. The next part of his plan was the hard part, but he was Russian, the environment was on his side.

Yuri crept along the tree line, eyes peeled for Yuuri. He saw a movement behind a bush and grinned. All he needed to do was draw the Katsudon to him and Yuuri would be done for. He leapt out from behind his tree and threw a snowball at where he’d seen movement. 

“Got you, Katsudon!” 

When the snowball failed to hit anything Yuri faked a yell of panic and ran. Heavy footsteps chased after Yuri, following him through the trees to where he’d set his trap. Close to his pile of snowballs was a frozen puddle, half hidden under a thin layer of snow. He easily cleared it with a jump and took shelter behind his trap tree. 

The footsteps approached only to be cut off by a yelp and a dull thump. Yuri Katsuki, one of the top figure skaters in the world had slipped on ice and fallen on his ass.

Yuri leapt out from behind the tree, arms laden with snowballs created for the decimation of his enemy, one Yuri Katsuki. “Огонь по готовности!”

Moments later Katsudon was buried under a pile of snow. “I give! I give!”

Yuri walked over and placed his foot on Yuuri’s forehead, mirroring that moment in Hasetsu months ago. “I know you can do better than that.”

“I think this has gone far enough, Yurio,” said Yuri as he raised his hands in surrender.

With a jolt Yuri realised how harsh he had been. That wasn’t what he wanted for tonight. He wanted gentle teasing and light banter, nothing mean spirited or vicious for once. With Viktor gone this was his chance to prove himself. He lifted his foot and instantly found himself on his back, gazing up at the dark snowy sky and Yuuri’s face. 

Yuuri grinned down at Yuri pinned under him. “Looks like I’ve won. Do you surrender?”

“Never.”

“Well that’s a shame, Yurio. Guess I’ll have to deliver the killing blow.”

Snow rained down all over Yuri’s face. He laughed and shook his head, but still ended up buried in it. “Okay! I surrender.”

Cold hands brushed away the snow on his face and hair. “I’m sorry, Yurio. This may have been a bit excessive.”

“Like I care, what’s a little bit of snow to someone who lives on the ice?”

Yuri felt his heart beating rabbit fast against his ribs and he hoped by some miracle Yuuri hadn’t noticed or put it down to the fight. He tried to get his heart to calm down and behave for once that night, but it only fluttered faster when Yuri wriggled and realised Katsudon was straddling his waist. In another universe, where Yuri was on a real date, Yuuri had leant down in that moment and kissed him. It was not a date though, only in Yuri’s head and Yuuri was soon standing, taking his warmth and closeness with him. 

“Come on, Yurio. Let’s get out of this cold and back to our hotel,” said Yuuri and he offered a hand. “You’re cheeks are bright red and I know you’re used to the cold, but I don’t want you out here any longer.” 

By the time they reached the hotel Yuri was shivering. His body heat had melted some of the snow trapped in his clothes and had soaked them in icy water. 

“As soon as I get to my room I’m taking a long hot shower,” said Yuri through clenched teeth.

“Yeah? I think I will be as well. I may have snow in my underwear, it is very, very uncomfortable.”

Yuri barked with laughter as they got into the elevator. “Sure you just didn’t piss your pants in terror when confronted with the ice tiger of Russia?”

Yuuri gave him a blank look. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t and it’s more like the fluffy kitten of Russia.”

“Better a kitten than a piglet,” replied Yuri as he searched his jacket for his key card. “Oh shit, I lost my key. It must have been back in that park.”

“You can’t go back for it now. You’re already far too cold and it’s late.”

“Well, I can’t just wake Yakov and Lilia up now, they’ll kill me.”

“Just come back to my room then. You can use my shower and borrow my clothes.”

If Yuri was a smart person he would have turned down the offer. The pretend date he had been playing out had already gone way too far, already stripped his heart bare and he knew once someone got wind of what happened they would see it for what it really was. Viktor could find out. The thought of Viktor was probably what sealed Yuri’s fate. Anger had always been simultaneously his greatest asset and most obvious weakness, giving him strength when he felt weak but also guiding him down the wrong path.

“I suppose I’ll have to make do with your ugly clothes. Just don’t take any pictures or tell anyone, or I might die of embarrassment.”

“Don’t worry, I promise.”

The rest of the trip to Yuuri’s room was silent except for their footsteps and breathing, Yuri not wanting to talk and Yuuri accepting it. It only broke when Yuuri unlocked the door to his room.

“I’m sorry that it’s messy, I wasn’t expecting visitors and I was just going to shove everything in my suitcase in the morning.”

Yuri was going to respond that it wasn’t that bad. But no, it really was. Clothes were strewn about the place, some of which didn’t even look worn, as if Yuuri had just grabbed his clothes and thrown them. Empty candy wrappers and boxes of fast food were on the desk and bedside table, too much for one person, but Yuri knew Viktor never touched the crap.

“I’ll find you some clean clothes and try to tidy up while you shower.”

Yuri tore his eyes away from the mess and nodded before retreating into the bathroom. Unlike Yuuri’s room the bathroom seemed fairly neat and untouched, the towels hung on the railing and various personal objects neatly lined up next to the sink. It was as if Yuuri hadn’t even bothered showering since Viktor left.

Yuri pushed all thoughts of Viktor out of his head and stripped before climbing into the shower. He washed himself with military precision and efficiency, a habit born from years of limited hot water. The towel was plush when he wrapped it around his body and smelled faintly of Yuuri, but when he inhaled again he could also make out Viktor.

Yuuri’s room was completely different when Yuri left the bathroom. The clothes had all been picked up and placed inside the open suitcase, the rubbish had finally made it to the bin and even the big double bed had been made. Katsudon was going back and forth, tidying the last of the mess, but lifted his head to smile at Yuri when the door opened. 

“Look, everything’s clean now, so you won’t have to fight with my dirty laundry for space. You can take your pick of my clothes, I realised I had no idea what would fit you. The clean stuff is folded in my suitcase.”

Yuuri then disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Yuri alone. 

A flush crept over Yuri’s shoulders, neck and face as he walked over to Yuuri’s clothes. He rummaged through the clothes, struggling to find anything which would fit him. Not only was Yuuri taller than him, he was also noticeably thicker, especially in the thighs, and he seemed to have preference for loose fitting clothes when off the ice. In the end he threw on a knitted jumper that fell off one shoulder and a pair of gym that had a draw string that went tight enough to stay on his slim hips. 

The door opened and Yuuri stepped out, thankfully fully clothed. “We should probably put your clothes by the radiator to dry- Oh, Yurio, you look so cute and small like that.”

“Shut up! It’s your fault for being so fat, piggy.”

“Good to know you really appreciate me letting you borrow my clothes, shower and room,” replied Yuuri with no real malice in his voice as he started to hang Yuri’s clothes near the radiator. 

Yuri sighed and went to help Katsudon hang up his clothes in silence. There was no way he was letting Yuuri touch his underwear, Yuri was positive he would spontaneously combust from embarrassment. 

“So is there a specific side of the bed you want?” asked Yuuri as they hung up the clothes.

“W-what?”

“I just know some people prefer certain sides of the bed to sleep on. I don’t know if you’re funny like that?”

For the first time Yuri realised that there was only a single double bed in the room and no couch. He tried to keep a hold of the panic that was welling up in him, if Yuuri noticed then it would only lead to questions with undesirable answers. 

“No, I’m not fussy.”

“That’s good. I already set up my charger and all my stuff on the left side of the bed.”

Yuri wished that there were more wet clothes to hang up, anything to put off the inevitable. 

Eventually though they were done and with a yawn Yuuri went to the bed and pulled back the sheets. “I’m going straight to sleep, but feel free to wake me up if you need anything.”

Yuri forced his feet to move to the bed and stiffly pulled back the covers on his side before climbing in like he was submerging himself in ice water. 

Yuuri put his glasses on his bedside table and switched off the lamp. “Goodnight, Yurio.”

“Goodnight.”

For some reason Yuri found the ceiling incredibly interesting for the next ten minutes. Between the cracks in the curtains light snuck through, cast from the street light outside and the occasional passing car. Yuri followed the steady beam of light from where it began near the window all the way across the ceiling to where it finished just above the door to the hallway, bisecting the room. He couldn’t sleep, so distracted by Yuuri’s breathing beside him. He should have never agreed to stay, his fantasy had gotten way out of hand and it wasn’t fair to Yuuri, who had no idea how the person in the bed beside him felt. 

“Hm, don’t eat that…” mumbled Katsudon beside Yuri.

Yuri turned over, looking at the sleeping figure beside him. Even deep in sleep there was a tension in Yuuri’s face, a tightness in his mouth and a slight crease between his brows. Otherwise he was completely lax, his hair splayed across his forehead and his hand curled loosely beside his head. Yuri had never been more in love than in that moment. 

He reached out a trembling hand and brushed back Yuuri’s hair, lingering far too long so he could bask in the feeling of the strands against fingertips. When Yuuri didn’t stir, not even a pause in his shallow breathing, Yuri grew braver. He slid a finger around the curve of Yuuri’s ear, pushing the hair behind it, and then trailed it down to the line of a round jaw. The shake in his hand returned when his fingers made their way to Yuuri’s lips and only intensified when they found their mark. Yuuri’s lips weren’t soft, they were chapped and hard from the harsh weather, but to Yuri they were perfect.

The bed dipped as Yuri sat up and leant over Yuuri’s unconscious form. One kiss wouldn’t hurt, right? No one would ever know, not Yuuri and definitely not Viktor. There was no harm in it. Steeling his nerves Yuri closed the gap and pressed a small kiss to those chapped lips. For what must have been the millionth time that night Yuri’s heart leapt and he felt his body melt against Yuuri’s own.

“Mmm, Viktor,” whispered Yuuri and he moved, wrapping his arms around Yuri and pulling him close.

That was when the tears started, escaping from under Yuri’s lids and falling down Yuri’s pained face, before finally coming to rest on Yuuri’s chest. Even half a world away Viktor still stood between them.

**Author's Note:**

> Is it possible to have a one-sided otp? Because I really love this pair, but only when it's one-sided. Anyway harsh criticism is welcome, but be aware that there was no beta reader, so there is bound to be a load of typos. 
> 
> Also fun fact: The coffee shop mentioned in this fic is based on a place I went to in real life. Except it was even worse because it was in a back alley and it specialized in bagels.


End file.
